ALEX GORDON was elected general secretary of the Communist Party at its weekend executive committee.

A train driver, he succeeds long-term general secretary Robert Griffiths, who had led the party since 1998.

Mr Gordon, a leading trade unionist, has twice served as president of the RMT transport union, is a trustee of the Marx Memorial Library and sits on the steering committee of the Stop the War Coalition.

Mr Gordon said being elected leader of the Communist Party of Britain, successor to the Communist Party of Great Britain founded in 1920, was a “great honour.

“I am conscious of the enormous political responsibility and trust placed in me personally and the duty of every party member to work for a united front against austerity, imperialism and war in a period when capitalism general crisis is intensifying,” he told the Morning Star.

“Our focus is on building unity between trade unionists, campaigners for housing, health and essential public services and against the poverty, racism and war fever that reactionary media and political forces promote to divide working-class people.

“2026 marks the centenary of the British general strike and the 90th anniversary of the formation of the International Brigades, in both of which our party played a leading role. We are conscious of the legacy we inherit. We will build the Marxist party of the labour movement in Britain. Our flag stays red!”

“It’s a testament to Alex’s qualities that MPs and trade union leaders are among the many who have congratulated him on his election,” outgoing general secretary Mr Griffiths said, also praising the greater number of “women, young and black and ethnic minority members” coming to occupy leadership positions in the party.

The executive also elected Lorraine Douglas as new Communist Party chair.

It called for mass mobilisation against an increasingly aggressive US imperialism and to build solidarity with Venezuela and Cuba to thwart President Donald Trump’s regime change plans.

Communists also urged maximum turnout for the January 31 national demonstration for Palestine, in defiance of the British state’s worsening repression of Palestine solidarity activists and attempts to politicise the police.